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Geosynthetics are planar, polymeric (synthetic or natural) materials used in contact with soil/rock and/or any other geotechnical material, for serving functions of Filtration, Drainage, Separation, Reinforcement, Protection, and Sealing, in civil engineering applications. There is a wide variety of products such as Woven geotextiles, non-woven geotextiles, uni-and bi-iaxial geogrids, geomembranes, various types of geocomposites, Prefabricated vertical drains, Rolled Erosion Control Products, geobags, geotubes etc., having potential applications in road structures-such as reinforced soil walls in bridge approaches, pavements; railway structures-bridge abutments, reinforced soil slopes; dams, canals and different ground improvement situations in soft soils. It is thus imperative that the performance of geosynthetic included structures depends on the nature of geotechnical materials, the loading conditions and the expected function the geosynthetic is expected to perform and is a complex geotechnical design issue. Though the application potential of the wide variety of geosynthetics is extremely high, the potential is yet to be tapped in our country, despite the fact that the major types are being indigenously manufactured, some to the International standards. The following briefly highlights the relevant issues.
Lack of user Department Manuals and Specifications as well as construction guidelines. There are many grey areas, particularly in the railway and water resources sectors.
In countries where high use is there, the manufacturers manufacture the product, as per clear Specifications which includes Manufacturing MARV values (MCA) and the user agency deals with Construction quality control (CQA). Importance of this is only now being realized in India.
The existing Nodal agencies, primarily deal with Geotextiles (woven-non-woven) and woven geogrids and are not structured to deal with the entire spectrum of products or applications. Thereby, they serve primarily as Test Houses and rarely in a position to advise geotechnical performance.
For a coordinated approach there is a need to establish a multi-disciplinary, Civil Engineering based National Geosynthetic Institute which does the job of not merely testing Geotextiles, but the entire range of geosynthetic products (because more than one product will need to be used in geosynthetic solution to a problem like landslides and pavements), but also involve in developing Design and Construction manuals in consonance with the user Departments/Ministries, Product certification and system certification (say of a new kind of geosynthetic reinforced soil wall, geotube solution for a coastal and river erosion control and natural fibre product range for embankment, river and hill slope erosion control problem). Over the years they may initiate relevant R&D. Similar mechanisms exist in USA, UK, Germany, France and Japan.
If this is supported with Education and focused training programmes, it will go a long way in realizing the full potential of geosynthetics in faster and economic Infra projects as well as aid the manufacturing industry in value addition to their product range. |
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